Fortnum & Mason, the opulent and world-renowned London department store, has, on its 300th anniversary, just completed a major refurbishment. Complementing the £24m spend is a security upgrade, including CCTV control and digital recording from Synectics.
Most famous for its luxury picnic hampers, which the store first distributed to Victorian era high society at events such as the Henley Regatta and the Ascot Races, two of its floors are devoted to food and drink. Around the store, are five speciality restaurants, serving from seafood banquets to afternoon teas. Complementing the classic ambiance of the store, the restaurants not only provide an opulent experience, but are a year round tourist attraction.
Upgrade
Recognising the need for an upgrade to its security, Fortnum & Mason management regarded the store refurbishment to be the perfect time to revaluate their surveillance system, and bring together the piecemeal legacy components.
Turning to specialist installer IMLAP Ltd, Fortnum & Mason’s management put forward several objectives they wanted addressed, as David Knapp, Director of IMLAP says: "Store management wanted to concentrate the majority of the security budget on the synchronisation of the CCTV system. This meant we needed to supply a total control solution, including recording, that would interface with the mix of third party manufacturers’ equipment already present at the store. Directly addressing this issue, we specified a Synectics solution that included their SynergyPro control software and Modular Digital Recording System (MDRS).
"The replacement of the existing control and recording system at Fortnum & Mason represented a significant technological investment for the store. So prior to the purchase, to demonstrate the capabilities of the powerful Synectics system, we arranged several demonstrations of the product. These were conducted at existing installations within some of London’s most prestigious locations, including the famous Ritz Casino."
Frank Feltham, Facilities Manager at Fortnum & Mason adds: "Products can make lots of technical promises but there really is no substitute for experiencing the technology in action. These demonstrations showed us that the Synectics solution delivered all it promised, and gave us great confidence that SynergyPro control software would provide us with a powerful surveillance tool and the key to maximise the potential of our camera network."
Diverse
Utilising Synectics technology, Frank’s security team can now constantly monitor their network of over 80 cameras using SynergyPro’s intuitive touch screen interface, navigating their way around the system via detailed floor-by-floor maps, showing all camera positions. This function allows operators to follow a target around the store, by switching to the next available surveillance point. For operators more comfortable with a ’traditional’ control method, camera switching and PTZ control can also be achieved via the Synectics stand-alone ‘Navigator’ joystick. This ambidextrous control device provides Fortnum & Mason operators with the option of using a physical control interface, supporting the SynergyPro touch-screen system.
Backed by a team of six security staff positioned throughout the store, Fortnum & Mason’s four control room operators use the Synectics surveillance technology in a number of ways. Frank Feltham says: "First and foremost it’s a fantastic security management tool. From our purpose built on-site control room, we can instantly get an overview of the store, or concentrate on the most finite of details. Cameras cover the shop floors, which contain a large amount of high value stock. In addition, we have all entrances and exits, restaurants, lifts, approaches to shop floors, rear of shop areas and whole of the exterior/perimeter of the building covered with Pelco camera domes.
"Because of our reputation for selling high quality, high value goods, and the attention that brings from the criminal fraternity, the new surveillance system is deployed in an invaluable role, to detect crimes ranging from opportunistic theft, to highly organised gangs of habitual criminals, who target our highest value stock, using sophisticated measures. Equally however, we use our powerful surveillance to protect the security of our customers from opportunist pickpockets, who may be attracted by our flow of clientele.
"As a by-product of our comprehensive coverage, we have been able to assist third parties in incidents that have happened off-site, such as a serious road traffic accident that happened outside the store. Through our system, we were able to provide the police with evidential footage on DVD, depicting the whole incident, caught in full on our exterior cameras.
"Our order of priority at any incident is firstly, to evaluate if there had been any witnesses, and then to assess the footage off the incident. This shows how highly we rate, and rely on the highly detailed images we can now access."
Access
The recording of vital video footage is via Synectics’ MDRS. Instant playback is available, presented to Fortnum & Mason operators across two Synergy monitors. Frank Feltham says: "The instant access to high-resolution recorded footage has greatly improved our operators’ efficiency in determining the nature of an on-screen event, or verifying the identification of an individual or item within the store – enabling the true value of the recorded footage to be immediately realised and acted upon. The quality of the recorded footage is paramount to us, and we have been more than impressed with the Synectics system. We can now use the instant playback facility to identify individuals clearly. These individuals then become known to our security team, ands using our powerful technology, we can identify them whenever they enter the store. We can then closely monitor them, and deny them subsequent access to the store if necessary.
"Instant access to recorded footage is also vital to clarify a suspect’s actions. The immediate availability of footage is very important to us, as time is of the essence, allowing our security team to quickly mobilise to intercept an individual as they leave the premises."
Detection
The new CCTV has been instrumental in the apprehension of a number of professional shop lifters, including one who had slipped through security at one of the country’s most well known auction houses, Frank says: "We stopped an individual as he was about to leave the store, as he had been captured on camera stealing a package of tea from our food department. We then discovered that he was in the possession of a number of maps, of antique appearance. Arousing our suspicions, I contacted the obvious vendors of this type of item, and soon found that they had been stolen from a well-known auction house. Needless to say, we were able to return these items, to the vendor’s great gratitude! "
As with this, or any incident at the store, the Fortnum & Mason security are able to provide the police with specific evidential footage downloaded to DVD, for use in a prosecution, or for further off-site investigation.
